The Zapp Building, Fayetteville, Texas
historic place
The Zapp Building, a historic place in Fayetteville, Fayette County, holds a significant position on the town square. German native Hugo Zapp established his mercantile business here in 1865. In 1900, following a fire that destroyed his previous wooden store, Zapp had this two-story brick building constructed. Builders Kurtz and Stidham completed the structure. Designed in the Romanesque Revival style, it was intended as the finest building in Fayetteville. It features distinctive decorative brickwork in a checkerboard pattern. The Zapp Building stands as the only masonry commercial structure on the town square. In 1915, merchant F.C. Knippel acquired the store, and his family continued its operation for over fifty years. This building was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1983. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 23, 1983. The Zapp Building offers a glimpse into Fayetteville's commercial and architectural development at the turn of the 20th century.